


Peach and Gold and Stories untold.

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Seijou 4 Week; Sunflower style [11]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Gen, Mahoutokoro (Harry Potter), Other characters will come in, Seijou 4 Week, They're 11 at the start of this, WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE PAIRINGS.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:05:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9510938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: To attend Mahoutokoro is to step into the wizarding world of magic and mystery!At 11 years old, Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa are just beginning their journey.And then they meet a boy.A boy with a white robe.





	1. Giant Storm Petrels and White Robes.

The day Oikawa had turned 11, he had spent almost all of it flitting between his birthday party and the front door, anxiously awaiting a letter that would determine if he had inherited either of his parents magic. His mother, father, and older sister had all attended Mahoutokoro, and Oikawa was deadset upon following in their footsteps. A pureblood, he knew there had to be a letter _somewhere_ , it was just taking a long time to come to him! It would be here by the end of the day!

Oikawa Tooru, 11 years old, dragged himself to bed in tears.

Oikawa Tooru, 11 years and 1 week old, screeches in excitement and runs barefoot in pyjamas all the way to Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s houses to shove a Mahoutokoro letter in their faces.

Towards the end of January, another one of his friends, Hanamaki, proudly displays his own acceptance letter when the three meet up at Oikawa’s for a sleepover. Hanamaki is a half-blood, his mother a powerful and well-known user of magic. Perhaps even Legendary status. So it’s not surprising he has an invite too. At the very least, Oikawa is ecstatic to know he’ll have a friend there. 

Matsukawa sighs, because his birthday isn’t until March, and Mahoutokoro starts in April, just like any other Japanese school. Just… With magic and wands instead of backpacks and pens. The other two reassure him, and Matsukawa shrugs before stating he doesn’t mind either way, since both options are too much work.

He’s much more enthusiastic come March when his own rose-golden acceptance letter arrives at precisely midnight when he turns 11. Together, the three friends and their parents prepare for Mahoutokoro the best they can. 

The day comes, in April, when they join a crowd in the southern isle of Okinawa and are led towards a secret cave, hidden by magic and sheltering Giant Storm Petrels - a whole flock! Hanamaki is a little nervous about flying on a giant bird over an entire ocean with no experience and a brief five minute explanation of how to control the bird, so Matsukawa shares with him, Hanamaki clinging around his waist with eyes closed and murmuring _“I don’t want to die.”_ over and over again.

It’s only when they land on Iwo Jima that Oikawa sees one lone boy, sitting away from the crowd on a rock, almost as if he’s invisible. It makes sense that he'd be invisible from the rest of the crowd. He's wedged right in there, at an angle on Oikawa's little trio would be able to see.

He has something white in his hands - a folded robe, Oikawa thinks. But they won’t receive their robes until inside, so how does this mysterious boy have one?

“Makki, Mattsun? You can see him too, right?”

“See who?”

“The boy over there! With- With the black hair, on the rock!” Matsukawa and Hanamaki exchange a worried glance.

“Oikawa… Do you need an eye-test?”

“Yeah, I mean… Either that or you weren’t listening to the teachers on the way over.” At Hanamaki’s teasing accusation, Oikawa sticks his tongue out and looks away with a small blush, proving that he wasn’t listening _at all_. Matsukawa sighs and makes sure Oikawa is looking at him before he speaks.

“This is the southern tip of Iwo Jima. We’ll have to climb the side of the volcano and pass through a barrier before we see Mahoutokoro, but the white robe on the rocks is proof enough we’re in the right place.” Oikawa tilts his head in confusion, eyebrows furrowing.

“But it’s not on the rocks. It’s in that boy’s lap! He look about our age, actually.” Matsukawa and Hanamaki look over, and to their surprise, they too, can see the boy. 

“... Holy shit.”

“Is this some kind of bad omen?” As they speak, the boy looks up, green eyes meeting theirs and a tired expression melting into startled shock. His hand stills from brushing over the white robe and he blatantly stares. Oikawa smiles kindly and waves, unsure of why he can hear Hanamaki gulp and Matsukawa stop breathing.

“We’re gonna die.”

“We’re cursed.” Oikawa turns on them with a slight snarl, annoyed at the way Matsukawa and Hanamaki are treating the stranger, who is probably rather lonely, sitting on his own that far from anyone else.

“Will you two stop?!” Matsukawa grabs his shoulders and forces him to make eye-contact, concern and anger leaking into his voice.

“Oikawa, the white robes are left here as a reminder that disgraceful students will be pointed out and most likely expelled, or even executed! There’s only seven of them, and the first one is on that rock with-!” He breaks off with wide eyes as he looks up, just over Oikawa’s shoulder. Hanamaki is pale and trembling. Confused, Oikawa turns around and is met with green eyes and a face painted with nervousness.

“It’s not my robe, if- if that’s what you’re wandering. And- And I’m not a ghost.”

“Then why were you holding it like that…?” The boy shuffles with a small shrug, lowering his voice and wringing his hands together as he dips his head.

“Was my dad’s. Only thing left of him.” Guiltily, Hanamaki rubs the back of his head whilst Matsukawa bites his lip as he tries to think out an apology worthy enough. Oikawa, on the other hand, has no such restraint.

“What do you mean only thing left?” Hanamaki tackles him and covers Oikawa’s mouth whilst Matsukawa turns to scold him.

“Oikawa! Sorry, sorry! Just ignore him!” Much to their surprise, the boy just laughs. It’s a deep, warm laugh.

“No problem, I don’t mind. He- Uh- After being expelled, he came home and tried to prove magic to the world. Um… He was, quite literally, roasted to death. As in; Kōchōsensei had to fight him in the middle of the street and it ended up with a huge fireball fight… Newspapers covered it as a methane explosion.”

“In the middle of the _street_?”

“Yeah. Most people died as a result of the conflict.” Hanamaki’s thin brows are furrowed and his face is pinched with distressed thought.

“I remember reading about that. Five years ago, right?” The boy nods and Hanamaki’s eyes widen.

“You’re Iwaizumi Hajime. You- You were one of the only two who survived, weren’t you?!” A hand slaps across his mouth and he’s met with a fierce green glare. For an 11 year old, it’s an incredibly intense glare.

“Keep it down! I’m trying to keep it low-key!” Hanamaki nods and Iwaizumi sighs with relief before removing his hand.

“You do know the sorting hat is gonna call your name out though, right?” Iwaizumi turns to Matsukawa, face paling and a frantic look in his eyes. Obviously, he didn’t. A weight on his back almost knocks Iwaizumi off his feet but he manages to steady himself against it, although he does noticeably wince. The weight - Oikawa - drapes quite happily over Iwaizumi’s back.

“Then we just need to make sure you have a nickname it can call you!”

“A… Nickname?”

“Yes, a nickname. You know what that is, don’t you silly?” Iwaizumi huffs and gently swats at Oikawa like a pesky fly until he stops leaning his full weight against the shorter.

“Of course I know what it is. I’m not stupid.” Oikawa stares at Iwaizumi in thought even as Iwaizumi sinks into a scowl at the mischief sparkling in Oikawa’s eyes.

“Iwa-chan.”

“What? No.”

“Iwa-chan!”

“No.” Matsukawa and Hanamaki share a smirk before they both chime in, chanting it over and over again in a sing-song voice as Oikawa puffs his chest out proudly. People are starting to look over, and Iwaizumi shrinks under the unwanted attention. What if they work out who he is? 

“Fine, fine! You can call me Iwa-chan… Just shh!” When the other three cheer and high-five each other, Iwaizumi can’t help feeling like he, at 11 years old, has just made his first friends.


	2. Broken toes and ACTUAL robes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **"Hanamaki, you lil shit."**

The group have started walking up the side of the mountain, after a quick headcount to make sure everyone made the trip across on the Giant Storm Petrels. The slope up the cliffside looks almost natural, but it tingles with magic. There’s room enough to walk in threes, so Oikawa walks between Hanamaki and Matsukawa, right at the back of the group. Iwaizumi and a teacher linger behind them, the teacher trying to indulge in conversation, but Iwaizumi is surprisingly… Shy.

Hanamaki is the first to realise and he snickers. This could be fun~. He thinks of all the ways he could mess with Iwaizumi, just enough to make him blush or pout, maybe even smack Hanamaki’s hand away. He’s so deep in thought, Hanamaki doesn’t notice the small rock jutting out just in front of him and stubs his toe _painfully_ hard. The wave of pain jolts up his leg and he yelps as he falls.

“Taka!”

“Are you okay!?” He groans, pushing himself onto his butt and laying his leg out straight in front of him. He experimentally flexes each joint from the hip down, checking nothing’s broken.

“... I can’t- I can’t wriggle my big toe.” Matsukawa makes a noise in his throat, and pokes Hanamaki’s foot experimentally before he’s swatted away. The teacher - Takeda-sensei - crouches down and gently eases Hanamaki’s shoe off, apologising profusely every time the child winces or hisses in pain. 

Oikawa crouches down by Hanamaki’s side, a hand resting on his shoulder and the other wrapped around his back comfortingly. 

“Someone needs to go ahead and get Ukai-sensei. We’ll need a stretcher, if he can’t walk.”

“I’ll go.” Matsukawa gets ready to race after the main group, gaining distance as they carry onwards, when a warm hand wraps around his wrist. He looks back to Iwaizumi with a blink of curiosity. Iwaizumi doesn’t release his soft grip even as he questions Takeda-sensei.

“It’s not his back, right?”

“No? It’s his foot.”

“Then would it be dangerous to carry him in any way?”

“C-Carry him?! I mean, not really, but- But I’m not strong enough, and-!”

“I’ll do it.” Four pairs of eyes turn to Iwaizumi in shock, and he shuffles before releasing Matsukawa’s wrist to crouch down in front of Hanamaki, back to him and hands tucked against his hips.

“Climb on.” Awkwardly, and with a little help from Oikawa, Hanamaki manages to creep forwards with his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder and chest against his back, arms wrapped around him tightly. From this point, he can see over the rock pathway and into the ocean below. It would be a kill zone if he fell. It’s now that he gets the first inkling of anxiety.

“Are- Are you sure you can do this?” Iwaizumi grunts, adjusting his arms, looped around Hanamaki’s knees, to get a sturdy grip. He shuffles as if he’s uncomfortable, like his back is irritated by the extra weight.

“Of course. Do you trust me?”

“Well, considering we only met half an hour ago… Surprisingly yes.” Matsukawa snorts with amusement, distracting Hanamaki just enough that he relaxes, and Iwaizumi takes the instance to stand up straight, only wobbling slightly as Hanamaki screeches and clings on for dear life. 

He has nothing to fear though, as Iwaizumi adjusts his stance and starts walking up the rock path again, Matsukawa on one side and Oikawa on the other with a hand still resting on the small of Hanamaki’s back.

Takeda walks behind them once more, smiling with a knowing glint in his eyes. Even without the sorting hat, he can tell exactly what houses they’re going to be sorted in. 

As they small group of friends catch up with the rest of the year group, they stop in breathlessness, eyes wide as they look up at the _gleaming_ pagoda castle sitting on a cliff, just far enough that the lightest sea spray from crashing waves still rained down on the roof facing the ocean. 

The walls look made of glass, except they’re white with grey and brown marble, and aren’t see-through, and Matsukawa can only guess that it’s extremely polished crystal. It’s ornate and exquisite, and Matsukawa is so awed by the sight of the building, he almost misses Oikawa whispering about how it’s made of mutton-fat jade.

Even from here, he can see the dragons carved into the main columns, and the other animal carvings decorating the tiles near the top. They must be magical, for they move and skip around the gold-rimmed tiles like playing Shogi or Go. 

There’s cherry trees at every corner of the pagoda, and they’re in full bloom at this time. Matsukawa wonders if it’s just this time of year, or if they’re enchanted to bloom eternally. There’s a billion questions blazing in his mind, and he wants an answer to _all_ of them.

“Mattsun, hurry up! We’re getting our uniforms!” He shakes his head to clear the thoughts and potters after them as the group starts to separate into equal lines. Since the lines move at equal speed, Matsukawa and Oikawa step into the one next to Iwaizumi, still carrying Hanamaki on his back.

“So we know the uniforms are robes, but what are they actually _like_?” Hanamaki laughs, well used to Matsukawa’s curious poking around and intrigued questions. They’ve known each other since 2 years old, and they’re 11 now.

“We’re about to find out, Issei, just wait.” Matsukawa sticks his tongue out at Hanamaki in response and Tooru laughs as Iwaizumi takes a step away to stop Hanamaki from being able to reach Matsukawa, about to poke him. 

“Thanks, Iwa-chan.” 

“... You know I’m going to hate that name forever, right?”

“That makes it all the more fun~.” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips, and Oikawa knows it. As the lines gets shorter, Hanamaki straightens up as best he can to see over heads and shoulders.

“Oh wow, they’re peach!”

“What?! Taka, you can _see_ them?!”

“Quick Mattsun, give me a piggy-back!”

“Wha-! You give _me_ a piggy-back!”

“You’re taller than me, and heavier too!”

“That’s a good point, but I refuse to acknowledge it!” They start to poke each other in the ribs, squealing and ducking away from each other’s hands whilst trying to land a hit in, and Iwaizumi sighs as Hanamaki makes grabby hands towards them, wanting to join in and cause chaos. He startles back to reality when Takeda kindly informs them the line is now empty.

“Oi! Dumbass, Matsukawa, get your robes now!” They break apart with a squawk of surprise and Oikawa looks at Iwaizumi with a hint of betrayal. 

“ _Dumbass?!_ What- What the heck?!”

“You gave me a dumb nickname, I gave you yours.” Oikawa puffs out his cheeks in irritation, but says nothing as they get passed their robes by each individual teacher. The silken material almost shimmers in Oikawa’s hands, his eyes wide as he strokes his thumbs over it and watches the robe glimmer in the sunset. He can only imagine what it looks like at midday. The beautiful peach colour of the robe is patterned with pink blossoms at the bottom.

“Hey, how comes you get baby pink!?”

“Hm?” Oikawa looks up to see Hanamaki holding his robe out, the blossoms at the bottom a paler, more softer pink than his own, whilst Matsukawa’s is maroon, closer to purple. Iwaizumi still has his own robe folded up, the blossoms hidden from view.

“Don’t mess them up. They’re kimono-style, so keep them in… Order…” Iwaizumi’s eyes land on the pile of clothing Hanamaki has just dropped in the dust, everything other than the main robe that goes over the kimono-style uniform. It’s all crumpled up and messy and Hanamaki chuckles nervously before breaking off with a short yelp as Iwaizumi pinches his leg.

“What did I just say?” Hanamaki mumbles through his pout in reply.

“Don’t mess them up…” 

“And what did you do?”

“Dropped it…” There’s no way Hanamaki can pick it up from his place on Iwaizumi’s back, so Oikawa picks it up and dusts itself off in his place. Matsukawa looks at the vivid pink blossoms with an inquisitive glare. 

“It’s strange though… Why do we have different colour blossoms?” The teachers listening close by chuckle. One of them, with blond hair pulled back by a headband, a gecko patronus crawling back on forth on it, grins at them as he starts to explain.

“The blossom patterns have an absorber in them. It measures your magic and changes colour according to that.”

“What do they all mean?”

“You’ll find out at the individual house welcoming ceremonies! Come on now, don’t get left behind!” With a groan, the three start walking as Hanamaki swings his legs in boredom. It gets interesting when he does it enough to make Iwaizumi stumble into Oikawa or Matsukawa on either side. Now that they’re on a flat plateau and nowhere near the cliff, it’s safe to do so.

“Hanamaki. Hanamaki, stop. You’re throwing me off balance.”

“Indeed-io, that is my intention.” He says this just as he swings his full weight to the right, causing Iwaizumi to stumble into Matsukawa and crash against him, almost knocking them over if Ukai hadn’t braced and caught both children.

“Alright you two, calm down.”

“Wha-! It wasn’t me, it was _him_!” Iwaizumi jerks his chin up to Hanamaki, cackling in victory as Matsukawa slaps his thigh. Ukai sighs with good grace as Takeda nervously chuckles in the background, making sure Oikawa is far enough away that he can’t join Matsukawa in chastising Hanamaki _physically_.

“Makki, don’t be so silly! Someone could have been seriously hurt! You could have broken Iwa-chan’s neck!” Iwaizumi seems to have had enough, and walks over to a rock to drop Hanamaki down, surprising gentle considering the rage in his eyes when he turns back around to glare at Hanamaki, who simply shrugs with a cheeky grin.

“You. Are a little shit.”

“Ooh, that’s a bad word!”

“Shut up, I’m 11, I say what I want.” Ukai clears his throat and raises an eyebrow, making Iwaizumi quickly mumble an apology and taking back his rude words.

“Oikawa’s right though. What you were doing is dangerous. You’re not helping anyone, especially not yourself if you made me _drop_ you.” Hanamaki’s mouth opens and closes for a moment before he hangs his head low, hands fiddling together.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about it that way. I won’t do it again.” He looks a little down, so Iwaizumi pats his back whilst Oikawa manages to get around Takeda and launches himself at Hanamaki, hugging him tightly. 

“Don’t mind, Makki! As long as you know you did wrong, everything’s A-okay!” Hanamaki gives a wobbly grin, and once more finds himself on Iwaizumi’s back, Matsukawa ready to steady them if either was slightly off balance. As soon as they’re ready, he beams and points a thumb over his shoulder at the huge Pagoda castle behind them.

“Let’s go! I wanna find out _everything_ about this place!”


	3. (The) Crystal Pagoda and Sorting Hat.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to the houses, and finding out where our 4 boys belong!

The Pagoda is filled with platforms of the same mutton fat jade, steadily rising up and down, stopping at balconies just long enough for students to hop on or climb off. Other platforms, a brilliant emerald and more transparent move from side to side, gold encrusting on the edges that touch bordering balconies.

“I- I’m shook. We’re meant to get _on_ those things?” Iwaizumi can feel a slight tremble in Hanamaki’s hands, clinging onto his front, and reminds himself that he saw him sharing a Giant Storm Petrel with whom he now knows is Matsukawa. He must be afraid of heights, or at least of falling.

“It’s okay, you’ve got all of us to help you.” Matsukawa is way ahead of them, peering over where the platforms come out of to try and see where they’re coming from. He’s confused to see a shallow square and nothing emerging, until a shadow falls over him and he jumps backwards just in time to avoid getting squashed. 

“Huh. So that’s a down one.” He watches it for a moment, waiting for it to disappear, when it starts to rise up again! He breathes out with awe, watching it go at the same pace as before.

“Well, it’s different than escalators, but probably more convenient.” Oikawa is more interested with the people getting _on_ a platform across the pagoda, a swarm of children younger than themselves in robes that are much deeper in colour than the starting peach. 

“Why are there, like, 2 year olds here?” Ukai snorts with laughter, but Takeda is the one who waves his hands around like trying to dispel Oikawa’s thoughts and explains.

“Those are day students! They’re between 7 and 11. Usually they’d be home by now, but they’re here to see who joins their houses. Our day students are anyone who’s displayed magical ability before 11.” Oikawa pouts as he glares over to a group of three students with black hair, one of them in a rose gold robe, the other two in matching coral robes. 

“... Hmph. I’ll catch up to them with pure, hard work!” Without needing any encouragement, Oikawa steps onto the platform that the main body of the group were using before they could catch up. Matsukawa scrambles after him, jumping on at the last second. 

Oikawa has to heave him up entirely onto the platform, so his legs aren’t hanging over the edge, but they go up together until they join the main group waiting in a huge corridor for Shoji doors made of the finest bamboo, weaved with emerald strands in them, and two dragons on the design. Red and blue, they circle around each other until their heads meet in the middle, a furious battle of fire and ice. Leaning over the balcony, Matsukawa notices Takeda leading Hanamaki and Iwaizumi in a different direction as Ukai taps his foot, waiting for the platform to come back down.

“Where do you think they’re going?”

“Probably the Hospital Wing, if Makki might have broken his toe.” Matsukawa sniggers. Hanamaki always has been the clumsiest out of the three of them. He was constantly falling off walls, running into puddles deeper than they looked, breaking bones doing stupid things like breakdancing. Which, ironically, became literal _break_ dancing. There was that time he tried parkour and really should have died, but miraculously pulled through. 

“... I can’t believe I’ve only just realised his mother was probably using magic to heal him.”

“I can’t believe it’s taken all this time _and_ you saying it for me to realise.” Oikawa hides his face in his hands as Matsukawa laughs.

“We’re pretty stupid, aren’t we?” Whatever Matsukawa is about to reply with is cut off as there’s a mighty roar, and then the two dragons on the Shoji door _move_ , flying away from each other and uncurling at a rapid pace, wrapping themselves around marble columns on either side of the door instead. 

The doors creak open, inviting all the 11 year olds in, and Oikawa gasps breathlessly as it expands into a Great Hall, four tables longer than he could imagine leading up to steps paved with gold, and in the very centre, in front of the magic council who run the school, a single chair with an _Eboshi_ on it.

Usually worn by Shinto priests in a coming of age ceremony, it makes sense for the lightweight headpiece to be the sorting hat. It’s missing the traditional paper cord that holds the hat in place as Shinto priests walk and move, but Oikawa quickly theorizes that it’s because they’ll be sitting in the chair, not bowing in prayer. The students will be called up alphabetically, this he knows because it’s standard, and he can only hope Hanamaki and Iwaizumi make it back in time.

The hall is filled with excited whispers and squeals and murmurs, and Oikawa spots the three day students he spotted earlier sitting at separate tables. Huh. Interesting. They must be in different houses. There’s a banner over each table and his eyes glance over each one briefly.

A Kitsune, bright orange on a black background with a white shield shaped border, the roses of Mahoutokoro in the corner one of each these colours. The roses almost look like they’ve been painted out of smoke, a mysterious air to the art style.

A Tanuki, dark brown and almost black on a white background with a red rounded rectangle border, _again_ with the roses, but this time in black, white, and _red_. It occurs to Oikawa that the roses represent the house colours. These ones are cartoony.

A Tengu, a silver shadow standing in front of a light blue background, with sunset purple framing it with lavish, intricate spirals around each other, like filigree art. The border looks like a vine, wrapping itself around the main image in an oval. The roses, one each in the house colours, maintain this filigree standard.

Lastly, a green Kappa, against a silver background a shade lighter than the Tengu shadow, framed in blue as dark as midnight, in a firm rectangle with pointed edges. The roses, again, are the house colours, but this time have more of a realistic art style to them.

“Hey, Mattsun, which house do you want to be in?”

“I don’t know. I think I’ll just let the sorting hat decide. Besides, we don’t know the traits of each house yet.”

“Good point… Since I go last, I’m going to try and get in the same house as one of you!” Matsukawa leans against him just a little, sensing the underlying anxiety in Oikawa’s statement. He’s worried they’ll be torn apart. He’s scared they’ll be separated. He’s frightened he’ll end up all alone, that they’ll all find other friends to be with and slowly forget him.

“Don’t worry. Even if we’re in different houses, nothing can tear us apart. We’ll be best friends forever.”

“N-nothing?”

“Not even the universe.” Oikawa giggles a little and leans back against Matsukawa.

“Good! You’re stuck with me forever, and I won’t let you escape! You and Makki and now Iwa-chan!” He fakes an evil cackle, and Matsukawa can’t help but shake his head in amusement. His eyes swarm over the crowd in front of them, and he wonders exactly how many there are, despite easily being able to tell it’s somewhere in the hundreds. 

He breathes out steadily as the elderly man in the main seat of the council rises, Kōchōsensei stepping forwards with elegance and grace. His robes, in the style of a Jūnihitoe kimono, covered in blossoms with a full Sakura tree creeping up the right side, are entirely gold. The only way to see the pattern is to watch how light reflects off the kimono, the rippling blossoms a slightly fainter gold than the rest of the head teacher garment. A hush falls across the hall.

“Greetings, students of Mahoutokoro, young and younger. Today, we gather in celebration, as we welcome our new students. Once they have been sorted, we shall have a great feast to cement new friendships, new rivalries, and new talent!” He pauses to take a breath.

“There are four houses, as you can clearly see. Kitsune, the curious; Tanuki, the mischievous; Tengu, the loyal; And Kappa, the helpful. With all that said and done; Let the ceremony begin!” He sits as a cheer rises up from the tables, and the new students ultimately join in because the jovial mood is catching, and they’re excited anyways! At the very back of the hall, Oikawa and Matsukawa immediately notice when the doors open just a slither, despite the cheering.

“Sorry, we had to go to the medical wing.” Iwaizumi and Hanamaki slip in, Hanamaki on his own feet and grinning widely.

“We figured~. Glad you got here in time! They’re just about to start.”

“Thank goodness.” Iwaizumi’s sigh of relief is only just audible as the sorting hat shouts out a name, and everyone falls quiet again, only whispering to each other as the hat goes through the process.

“Makki, you have an important mission.”

“I- I do?”

“Mhm! It’s in alphabetical order by surname, and you’re the only one of the three of us before Iwa-chan.” A thin eyebrow rises in question, like he doesn’t see the link, and Oikawa sighs. Before he can say anything, Iwaizumi gets there first, mumbling in a low and uncertain tone.

“You have to convince the hat to call me Iwa-chan. You _have_ to, please, Hanamaki. If- If anyone recognises my name, it could- it could _ruin_ any chance I have of staying here. Please.” The desperation in his voice reaches Hanamaki’s heart and he nods seriously.

“I’ll convince it even if it takes my left kidney to do so.” Oikawa snickers, and they turn back as the hat finishes the G’s. With Hanamaki’s second letter being A, he’s guaranteed to be called up very shortly. Two girls go up first - twins - Oikawa thinks, and then it’s Hanamaki’s turn. He exhales, grins, and strides up to the hat like it’s nothing. A casual stroll in the park. He sits in the chair, crossing his legs under it and lets the hat be put on his head. 

_“If I sneezed right now, I could launch the hat across the hall.”_ He’s not sure why that’s the first thought that occurs to him, but he holds back a laugh at the mental imagery and the hat sighs. He can’t help but think it sounds a bit like Iwaizumi, and a small choked laugh escapes him. 

“Hanamaki Takahiro… I don’t need to ponder long on this one. With your trickster personality and good spirit along with smarts, I have no doubt you belong to-”

_“Hold up a sec! I gotta beg you of something, if you’ll listen!”_ For a moment, the hat is silent. Hanamaki stops breathing for a second, a wave of concern flooding him. He promised he’d take this opportunity to stop Iwaizumi’s name being announced. He **promised**.

“I’m listening, child…” A whoosh of air escapes Hanamaki all in one go.

_“Okay, so my friend has this dad who did some pretty awful stuff and he really doesn’t want to be associated with that, so when it comes to Iwaizumi Hajime, please please **please** call him something else! I’ll give you my left kidney if I have to!” _

“I see… Though I am not interesting in organ donation. And what you recommend, Hanamaki Takahiro?” Hanamaki is about to respond with plainly Iwa-chan, when he suddenly realises. He’s the one up here. He’s in charge. This is his opportunity to prove he’s the cheeky shit Iwaizumi knows him as.

_“Grumpy McIwa-Chan.”_

“... In all my years, you are the only one who has ever taken advantage with such _ridiculousness_. But, I shall allow it. As such, your actions place you most certainly… In **Tanuki**!” The table with the Tanuki banner above bursts into cheers and applause, Hanamaki grinning as he skips over to them. His job is done, and heck, he’s gonna get a kick out of it. Maybe a literal kick, if Iwaizumi isn’t as appreciative as he knows Matsukawa and Oikawa will be.

Each call of a name has him edging closer and closer off the edge of his seat, until…

“Grumpy McIwa-chan!” The hat calls out the name in seriousness, and Hanamaki bursts out laughing. There’s only a heartbeat between his own laugh and then the cackling of Oikawa with Matsukawa’s guffawing, complete with wheezing. Above them, there’s a voice of rage tinged with amusement, strange as that combination seems.

“Hanamaki, you asshole!” Iwaizumi storms up to the chair with a heavy pout and heavily blush, his ears burning in embarrassment as other students giggle and chuckle at the prank. It’s harmless, and technically, Hanamaki did convince the hat to call him something other than his family name, so Iwaizumi is still thankful. 

Plus… It was pretty funny, he can admit. A small smile twitches at his lips before he forces it away into a composed line. He’s in front of the council, and about to go under the hats jurisdiction. Deep respect influences his decision to appear formal. He seats himself elegantly and exhales steadily as the hat is placed upon his head, nestling in messy spikes.

_“Thank you for listening to Hanamaki. It means a lot. Just Iwa-chan is fine though.”_

“Much easier to say. I see hold respect and knowledge as high values, though perhaps not as high as friendship.”

_“Yes sir.”_

“And so polite too. Hmm… I am torn between two houses, sensing your protectiveness and loyalty, yet also seeing your actions through memories… I see you helped a friend without second thought, despite personal risk to-”

_“Please don’t mention my back! I’m sorry for interrupting, but please…”_ The hat hums with thought. Then, it speaks again.

“With your self-sacrificing helpfulness, desire for knowledge, and freely given respect, you belong to **Kappa!** ” Iwaizumi sighs with relief and thanks the hat quietly before making his way over to the cheering table, welcoming their new student. Hearty thumps on the back make him wince, as he did when he took Hanamaki on his back, but he stands strong against them and finds a spare seat. He catches Oikawa’s worried look across the hall and quickly tears his gaze away. 

Oikawa is- Oikawa _has_ noticed something. He’s working it out. And Iwaizumi doesn’t want to feel those eyes scrutinizing his hunched over form. He doesn’t want Oikawa to know that he’s hurting.

But Oikawa is smarter than he would ever let on.

“I think something’s wrong with Iwa-chan.” 

“Huh?” As the hat is still sorting through students with a surname beginning with K, Oikawa whispers over to Matsukawa, who instantly whips his head around in concern. He glances over at Iwaizumi quickly, before looking back at Oikawa with furrowed brows. 

“He looks okay to me… What do you mean?”

“When he was talking to the hat… He cut the hat off. There was something he didn’t want us to hear, something that caused personal risk…”

“Oikawa, I think you’re being overprotective. I- I know it _feels_ like we’ve known him much longer, but we did only meet him about two hours ago…”

“Which means there could be things we don’t know that could endanger his health!” Matsukawa hums in thought, but says nothing else. 

“Mattsun, are you even listening?”

“I am, I am. But look, I know this is harsh, but Iwaiz- Iwa might not trust us fully yet. If he has something important he needs to tell us, then he’ll tell us when he trusts us. We just have to prove that, yeah, he _is_ our friend.” Oikawa bites his bottom lip, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“Y-Yeah. You’re right. You’re right, Mattsun.” Matsukawa lays a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezes in support. Oikawa leans into his weight, sapping the comfort up like he’s been starved of attention for weeks. Used to it, Matsukawa lets him stay there, and runs his thumb over Oikawa’s shoulder.

“Matsukawa Issei!” The hat calls his name, and he pulls away from Oikawa slightly.

“Oop, that’s me. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck…” He strolls forwards, a little bit of a skip in his walk as he passes by the crowd and drops into the seat with an elegant thud. The hat barely brushes over the first curly wisps of hair when it speaks.

“Almost instantly I can tell you’re a sly, curious one.”

_“Why, thank you. You must be expertly experienced, to have figured that out so quickly.”_

“A smooth talker too. Yet, there is this air of mystery to you. Yes, with all your traits, I have no doubts you belong to… **Kitsune!** ” Smirking, Matsukawa saunters over to the table, finding a seat next to another first year, much shorter than him with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes. They make small talk whilst the hat reels through other students, and Matsukawa is pleased to find that Yaku - his new friend - has a friend in Kappa. Maybe this means a study group with 6 of them.

“Oikawa Tooru!” Matsukawa’s eyes dart back to where Oikawa stands in the same place at the back of the crowd, and deeply exhales to get into the frame of mind. Oikawa’s eyes meet Hanamaki’s, then Iwaizumi’s, then Matsukawa’s, and after receiving an encouraging nod from each of them, he walks with confidence up to the chair. His strides are powerful and determined, like a tidal wave surging forwards, or a commander of a great army.

Sitting in the chair, he holds his head high as if it were a throne, gazing down upon his kingdom with care and respect. He makes sure to smile at his three friends, convincing them that his anxieties have been washed away by their support, urging them not to worry in his stead. The hat comes to rest on his head, and for a moment, all is still and silent. Oikawa isn’t sure if time has frozen or not.

“ **Tengu**!”

“What?! You didn’t even explain why!”

“Child, your very personality is loyalty and protectiveness. You are good spirited, and extremely determined. With a mind and heart as dedicated as yours, there is no further need to deliberate. You, Oikawa Tooru, are a Tengu through and through.” His fist closes tightly, digging nails into his palm. He wanted to be with one of his friends! He didn’t want to be in a house all on his own!

_“I’ll burn you to a crisp.”_

“Oh, believe me, your older sister tried.” Clicking his tongue impatiently, Oikawa sulks over to the Tengu table and isolates himself away from everyone else, until Hanamaki and Iwaizumi push themselves through the crowd of students still waiting to be arranged, and Matsukawa crawls under the table to get to Oikawa’s side. They sit with him, away from the main hulk of the table, and with their company, Oikawa manages to smile - just a little.

Matsukawa was right. The universe wouldn’t be able to tear them apart, no matter how hard it tried. Different houses? No problem. They’d just have to crash each other’s common room and hang out on the school grounds. They were friends, and they were going to stick together through everything.

Maybe Oikawa could even convince them to burn the sorting hat with him.


	4. Friendships Born and Inviting Dorms.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look inside the dormitories and some new friends join the crew!

Iwaizumi was about to snap his apricot wood wand in half. To go to their dorm rooms, the first years had been assigned in pairs, so here he was, following the person in front, stuck with someone chattering in his ear _constantly_. Kuroo Tetsurou didn’t seem like the helpful type at first, and as much as Iwaizumi respected the sorting hat, he had a few questions to ask it.

“- ‘nd that’s when Bo ran straight into it and was absolutely coated in neon green paint! He couldn’t get rid of it for day!” With an ugly wheeze of laugher, Kuroo threw his head back and Iwaizumi growled under his breath.

“Why are you telling me this?” Kuroo’s laugh cut off abruptly and he looked back at Iwaizumi with soft confusion tinged with concern.

“Well, ya looked a little unsettled, so I was tryna make you feel welcome…” Feeling a little guilty, Iwaizumi nibbles on his bottom lip.

“Sorry, I just… Sorry.” He sighed again as he dropped his head to look at the traditional wooden flooring beneath his feet, not noticing the sparks of enchantment around a door up ahead. He _did_ notice, however, when there was a huge whoosh of air and the sound of a gigantic sliding door. The Kappa area, it seemed, was based off traditional Ryokan.

He wondered, for a brief moment, what the Tengu, Tanuki, and Kitsune dorms were like. He didn’t have time to ponder as the Komainu statues on either side of the sliding door come to life with a swirl of smoke-like teal, glittering with turquoise magic. Kuroo unconsciously whimpers and presses closer to Iwaizumi as the statues start weaving in and out of the students.

“What’s wrong? Scared of a little lion-dog?”

“Lion, no. Dog, yes. Yes very much.” The komainu statues are weaving ever closer and Kuroo’s breathing quickens. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and grasps one of Kuroo’s hands tightly to reassure him. He ignores the wide-eyed look he gets in return, instead holding out his free hand flatly for the komainu to sniff. 

It seems to like him, considering how it rests a chin in his hand for him to scratch, surprisingly soft considering it’s made of stone. Kuroo grabs his hand tightly, almost climbing onto him as the other komainu tries to sniff him too.

“Just hold your hand out flat. They won’t hurt you.” 

“What if they bite?”

“They won’t.”

“Those teeth are huge.”

“They won’t bite!”

“They’re _dogs_!”

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Iwaizumi grabs Kuroo’s hand back, not allowing him to take his hand away as he thrusts their joined hands towards the komainu. Kuroo goes pale as a ghost, trembling silently as the komainu sniffs, and moves on.

“There. See.”

“I- I think I’m gonna pass out…” Iwaizumi scoffs, and as the students the komainu has checked shuffle into a crowd, instead of their paired lines, Iwaizumi pulls his hand away and joins the group. A 7th year stands at the front with a sonorous charm claps his hands together before holding his wand up like a microphone.

“Alright, can you hear me at the back?” There’s a reply of yes, a mingle of voices that choruses together. 

“Welcome new Kappa students! As you can tell, this is the Kappa dormitory, but as with all magical schools, there’s a knack to getting in! These Komainu going round right now will pick up any scent of gratitude on your clothes - yes, it has a smell! So basically, if you want to get in, you gotta help someone throughout the day! Any questions?” 

“Do-Does the size of the gesture matter?” The 7th year points to the newbie that asked the question and winks.

“A very good question! And yes, it does. Small things will get you in once, but _big_ things may get you in and out all week! Any more questions?” Nobody speaks up, and the 7th year is about to let them in when a girl next to him - a 5th year, marked by shield on her rose gold robes, pulls his wand towards herself to carry on the announcement.

“When we enter, it’ll be into the main room. Half of you will go left, half of you go right depending on your biology. You’ll either follow me, or this doofus here.” She points to the boy who cheerfully waves, not even bothering to pull his wand back. He reminds Iwaizumi a little of Oikawa.

Oikawa, who stand in the hallway leading up to the Tengu dorms. The walls blend into stone, different to the mutton-fat jade and instead looking more like… More like a wall of _rock_. There’s a stairway, and suddenly, Oikawa realises it’s like they’re walking into a indoor japanese castle. 

He’s seen a fair few castles in his time, thanks to his parents who constantly dragged him on history tours, and this one is definitely modelled off Bitchu Matsuyama castle. As he gets to the top of the stairs, he realises why everyone in front of him shuddered at this point. It- It’s almost like he’s being _scanned_. 

His skin glows for a moment and he looks up to see a frame of cherrywood around the top of the doorway, glowing runes on them. The runes read back to front and upside down, but he’s able to decipher the message.

_That they trust, thus the commander grows strong; remain faithful._

It’s confusing, at first, but Oikawa Tooru is clever, despite not being a genius. Commander refers to the students of Tengu. It refers to their friendships, to being trusted and trusting. Oikawa huffs lightly in amusement. Of course he’d get through, if that were the case. He, Makki, and Mattsun have been loyal to each other from the first time they met.

Their shoes are removed and placed into a cabinet at the side of the main dorm, and as Oikawa slips his shoes into an unnamed one, his name engraves _itself_ into the dark wood. He gulps, hoping Iwaizumi won’t have to do the same.

Stepping in through the traditional doors, his breath stops for a moment. His feet can feel the softness of the tatami mat beneath them. The walls and shoji doors are covered with paintings, the same style as that from when Samurai culture was alive and thriving, arts an important feature of the ancient world.

Everywhere he looks, there’s gold and white and cream. Many of the painting feature the tengu colours - silver, bark blue and dawn purple. It’s hard not to feel drawn back into a different century. Even the _smell_ of the place bleeds royalty, an exquisite blend of jasmine and lavender. Not that he’s the best at identifying fragrances. 

A raised platform around the edges is where the older students step up, gesturing for the new first years to sit. Dropping into seizen, the students sit and listen as the 7th year explains how all the doors are enchanted. Certain students can only enter certain areas, whether that’s due to their biology or their age.

“Hey. _Hey_. **Heeeeey**!” The whisper from his side makes his eye twitch, and it’s with great restraint that when he turns to face the stranger, he manages to plaster on a grin. Of course, anyone else would be able to tell this was an expression of held-back _murder_.

“Yes? _What_. Do. You.  WANT?” The boy has hair that sticks up, streaks of black amongst the silver and hooded eyes as gold as the decorations around. He bounces excitedly in place and Oikawa can’t believe there’s someone more _restless_ than Hanamaki here.

“I’m Bokuto! Let’s be friends!” 

“We’re supposed to be _listening_ to the seniors.”

“But- But I wanna be your friend!” Bokuto pouts, suddenly looking extremely sad, like some kind of kicked puppy. Before Oikawa could sigh in response, the dark haired boy on Bokuto’s other side leant forward, his brown eyes narrowed with a deadpan, exhausted expression.

“He won’t leave you alone until you accept. _Trust_ me.”

“Daichi, Daichi! We could be his friends, don’tcha think?!” 

“Mhm, sure, Bokuto.” Oikawa makes a sound of exasperation before holding his hand out to be shaken.

“Urgh, fine. ‘Friends’ it is.” Bokuto hooted with joy - _hooted!_ \- before he practically wrenched Oikawa’s arm out of the socket, shaking his hand with such vigour and enthusiasm that Oikawa felt his whole body jerk with the movement. Daichi was much calmer. A firm grip, a steady shake, and released at exactly the right time.

“So what’s your name~!?”

“... Oikawa. And you’d better remember it, because I’m going to be the greatest wizard alive one day~.” He puffed his chest out proudly, smugness on his face.

“Really?! That’s great! If you ever end up in like, this massive battle, we can be your knights!” Daichi puts his head in his palms, sighing at his friends antics, and it’s that which makes Oikawa laugh.

Considering he’s been sort of forced into this friendship, it doesn’t seem so bad.

Someone else who might be feeling like that they sat next to the wrong person is Yaku. Matsukawa had been incredibly quiet at the table in the main hall. Yaku had thought it was indicative of his name; “Quiet one.”

Yaku was wrong.   
So, so, _wrong_.

“- and why are the blossoms different colours? Speaking of blossoms, do you think the trees outside blossom all the time? What if it’s, like, snowing? And would the enchantments on the roof still skip around if they were cold?”

“Matsukawa.”

“Do you think they were playing a game? It kind of looked like Shogi.”

“Matsukawa.”

“And Ukai-sensei had one on his headband! I think it was a gecko, or a lizard or-”

“Matsukawa!” He stopped talking, looking down at Yaku with a startled blink, and suddenly realising he’d been babbling.

“... Oops. Sorry, Yaku.” The shorter did nothing but roll his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation. Honestly, he had the same questions spinning around his noggin, but he wasn’t voicing them aloud like Matsukawa. Sighing, he noticed that Matsukawa was looking around in awe.

Wait. When had _vines_ crept along the hallways? He stopped for a moment until someone walked into the back of him, quickly apologising before picking up the pace to walk near Matsukawa again.

“When did these vines get here?” Matsukawa chuckles softly, stretching his arm out and brushing his fingers softly over the small leaves that adorn the twisting vegetation.

“They’re not vines. They’re _branches_. I’d recognise a bonsai plant anywhere.” With a scoff, Yaku eyes up the leaves that grow larger the further they walk.

“A bonsai? As if. Bonsai are _tiny_.” Cheekily, Matsukawa pokes him in the ribs.

“We’re in a place of magic and you think a giant bonsai isn’t an option~?” He laughs with good nature at Yaku’s blush, his cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk. Had it been Hanamaki, Matsukawa would even have pinched his little cheeks.

But this was not Hanamaki. This was Yaku, a tiny person extremely close to satan with a lot of bottled rage. If Matsukawa pinched Yaku’s cheeks, he might never walk again. He was only 11, so he would quite like to keep his hip and legs in 10 bones, thank you very much. 

Still, as the branches grow thicker and the leaves are now maple-leaf sized, Matsukawa isn’t sure how much further they’ve got to go. The hallway suddenly becomes congested, students gathering in a crowd. 

“What’s going on?” The same unsure murmurs echo around them from new first year students, although day students officially boarding and the senpai have varying reactions of amusement to the confusion.

“Alohomora!” The branches and vines suddenly start moving backwards, creating a breeze in their wake as they rush back towards the mother plant. A huge trunk of a bonsai tree stands in the corner of this section of the pagoda, and the branches weave themselves into a huge knot in front of- of a _cavern_?

“This is something you first years will have to do every day, since this is a Colloportus bonsai! Each time you go in and out, it’ll perform the locking spell on it’s own branches. Consider this your first magic lesson; Alohomora opens things!” There’s a muttering of alohomora around them, Matsukawa snickering at the sound of the overlapping voices.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just thinking it sounds a lot like home here. Taka, one of my best friends, has 3 olders sisters, Tooru, my other best friends, has 1 older sister, brother-in-law and a nephew, and I have two little brothers. So when we get together on special occasions, it sounds as noisy as this~.” Yaku blinks up at him.

“Wow, you consider your friend’s family as your own?”

“Of course. We’ve known each other since birth. Honestly, I think all our parents might consider _themselves_ siblings.” There’s a beat of silence before Yaku starts speaking, and Matsukawa is upset to hear how quiet and distressed he sounds.

“My mum isn’t all that great. I had to run away to come here. Kuroo - my friend - his mum was a better parent than anyone I was actually related to.” With great sympathy, Matsukawa squeezed Yaku’s shoulder, getting a half-hearted grin in return.

As they moved forwards into the cavern, it became apparent that only the entrance was cave like. The dorm itself flattened out into a _library_. Books and scrolls adorned almost every inch of the walls, and Matsukawa almost glittered at the thought of everything he could find out, just from reading through what was here. There had to be a library on site too, right?

“Welcome to Kitsune dorm room. I’m not going to ask if you have questions, because I know you all have at least one.” Matsukawa almost keels over at an elbow in his ribs, Yaku giving him a knowing glance. He blushes with embarrassment, knowing that if given the chance, he would have _buried_ the 7th year guide with a landslide of questions.

“Instead, let me explain some things, starting with your robes. These are kimono style robes. As you can see, they’re currently peach. This indicates your level of magic, what you’ve learnt and how honourable a wizard or witch you are. They should be gold, or close enough, when you graduate.” He holds out his own robes to indicate, the silky material shimmering with a dark apricot, closer to yellow and orange than pink.

“The blossoms, however, will not change colour as you learn. They’re an indication of your magical prowess, or even type of magic you’ll do best in. Some of you have pinks, others have purples, or oranges, or even on rare occasions, gold or blue.” Matsukawa looks at the bottom of his robes, wondering what the purple means. He glimpses over and notices Yaku has tremendously dark pink petals, almost red. 

“What skill do you think they are…? I hope I do good at charms. Or potions. Maybe even defence against the dark arts!”

“No idea. But I know I’m looking forwards to herblore.”

“Nerd~.”

“Shut up, you’re a nerd too.” Matsukawa snickers, leaning against Yaku to jostle him and getting a karate chop in the back of the knees in return. 

He goes down like a sack of potatoes.

Down, just like Hanamaki as he throws himself onto a bean bag in the Tanuki dormitory. He belly-flops onto the soft landing, sighing as he sinks into it. Getting into the dorm room had been easy. He’d just had to tell the Painted Samurai a pun. If it was good enough to make him laugh, or dreadful enough to make him sigh, the door would open.

Much to Hanamaki’s delight, the Tanuki dorm looked more like a playground than anything else, or an indoor area for ‘learning’. There’s even a slide down from the bedrooms on each side, how cool is _that_?!

As soon as they’d entered, they’d been dismissed and let loose like wild animals. According to their guide, the best way to learn was through the opportunity of interacting with the environment. Many students had instantly gravitated towards what looked like a coffee machine, grabbing drinks.

“‘Scuse me~.” A person with silver hair, already wearing his kimono, leans over him to grab something off the shelf from behind. A packet of strangely coloured crystals. Hanamaki raises an eyebrow with a grin.

“Whatcha got there?”

“Belch powder~.” Hanamaki’s eyes widen and then he laughs, shushing himself as the silver haired boy winks. He can guess what it does by name alone.

“Since the newbies don’t know about it, wanna see just how powerful this baby is?”

“Definitely!” The stranger separates the powder into two small tubes, and then he and Hanamaki go around, trying not to look suspicious as they pour a tiny bit of powder into each cup or bottle left unattended. 

Within _minutes_ , anyone with a drink is uncontrollably burping, and most others are laughing at their plight or shaking their heads at the low level prank. Sure, Tanuki are mischievous, but this is one of the oldest pranks in the books. Hanamaki and his new friend, however, find great delight in watching the homeroom dissolve into burps and chaos, leaning against each other as they cackle and hollar.

“I’m sure you two did this.” Uh-oh. They guiltily grin up at a senior, who raises an eyebrow and holds out a hand for the remaining powder samples. Passing it over, the senior smiles, just a little.

“Good to see you back, Suga.” Hanamaki’s companion mock-salutes with a bright grin.

“Thanks! It’s good to _be_ back!” Ah, he must have been a day student before this moment. The senior leaves with a huff of amusement and Suga turns to Hanamaki.

“Thanks for helping me out there. I never could have gotten that many people on my own.”

“No problem! Gotta make a good first impression, after all.” They make serious eye-contact for a minute before bursting in laughter, Hanamaki doubling over as he wheezes and Suga wiping away a tear. Once they’ve recovered, Hanamaki offers out a hand.

“I’m Hanamaki, but call me Makki. All my friends do.”

“Sugawara, but likewise, just call me Suga!” They shake hands firmly, before going over to some scrolls and starting to plan their next prank. No better way to bond, after all.

Whilst they may have been placed in separate houses, they’d found friends in each of them to keep them company. The next time they all meet, they’re gathering in the courtyard for a mixed house broom lesson.

Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa are all together of course, with their own friends lingering behind and chattering amongst each other. Maybe… With a group this large that gets along so well, they might actually survive the year at Mahoutokoro…

Possibly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This'll be the last chapter of their first year!  
> And probably the last chapter _for_ a year. Just because I'm swamped in requests. (OuO)

**Author's Note:**

> So much research... So little information... And yet, just enough to create this fic. I'm probably bullshitting half of this, but it's fiction so hey ho~. ★｡･:*¯\\_(ツ)_/¯*:･ﾟ★
> 
> Hope you enjoy Mahoutokoro!


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